Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1887-11-25
An Ideal Thanksgiving.

AS there are abuses the law can
not reach, So there are people no holi-
day includes. There is time OF the
year when vagrants-criminal in q
word, the destitute as body-aFe
feasted with good things and made
to share the comforts of the rich.
But as comprehensive as this charity
may be, as minute in its search after
recipients, as thoughtful in the choice
OF creature comforts, it is pitiful to
think how many yet remain in the
highways and hedges out of reach.
Can you imagine gathering OF such
az these? We see much of the other
side of the picture, but it is startling to
think that those who come to the sur
face are only the minority. Beneath
every success, however modest and
obscure, there is a superstructure OF
accumnla Led failures; and for one or
ten whom we see in moderate COM
fort and unassuming ease, there are
100 or 1000 who have been to weak
TOO swim.
l had been to many fully spread
boards, public and private. on this
day of typical thanksgiving tor all
the blessings and good gifts OF the
year; but one to which was acci-
dentaIly introduced late in the even.
ing proved of greater interest and
rarity than any of the other.
The host was gray headed man,
wifeless aud cbildless, rich. odd, disap'
pointed and generally supposed to be
misanthropic. He had no aim in life;nu
interest strong enough to absorb him,
no will stable enough TO bold the
reiDs. He gave to every one who ask
ed, but no work OF charity interested
There was no pursuit. physical or
mental, which could SO sustain him
as to turn him from vain regrets and
impartial longings. He had never
found his place in life; had never
known necessity, and therefore never
tasted the excitement of the race for
existence, which some time or other
gives at least dash of interest to the
most unsuccessful career. He was
not irreligious, but be belonged to nc
religious body, and when any one
told him that be had much to thank
Providence for he would shrug his
shoulders in wonder.
As the years went on this man
brooded more and more over disap
pointed hopes. and took a morbid
pleasure in finding out cases of fail
ure in all the various eallings of life
He dwelt on the subject until it be
came a monomania One or two ac
quaintances-he had no heart frienC
out of compassion advised him t.
turn the brooding to practical use by
benefting men in situations like hi
own.
Such was the singular host. A
for the guests, they were as various
in class, education, birth and appear
ance as they could be, evea in cit,
where everything under the sun i:
more or less represented. All wht
| are bankrupt and ruined in reputation
and position, or in their own estima
tion, had a representation at tha
| strange feast Of moral equality. Every
degree of shabbiness, of dilapidation
in face or garment, was present; TO
no rule was made as to dress, ant
those whom shame or idleness mad'
| remlss were as freely admitted as they
who had made little pitiful attempt'
| at decency. The talk was mild ant
characteristic. chiefly occupied witt
the past or the future as it might hav'
been.
On the hosts right hand sat maj
in rusty black, with nervous han(
that clutched at things and trembleC
as they held glass or fork or napkin
He bad never been u criminal, never
willingly harmed any one, never en-
Uertained deliberately unkinC
thought, and yet to all intents ant
purposes be was q murderer and 6
suicide His spirit was dead, or in it
last agonies, and o. this he was dim
ly conscious in a dispairing sort 0
way.
On the hosts left, the other place
of honor-and what a significant dis
linction to occupy those prominen
8 s-sat the jauD'iest Incl iua
OF The whole party. AT first sIgnt i
would have been difficult to say why
be had his share at this banquet .
The ruined, disappointed, bereavec
| and afflicted. 1t was not his look mol
his dress that told the secret, but biz
words He was better dressed thar
any OF his fellows, and self satisfied
expression was upon his face Blu
you soon saw blank in the midst o
that self satisfaction-the lack o
something, which mysterious some
thing would have just put him be
yond the pale of our friends circle
He talked louder than the rest ant
neld out the comfort of Irresponsible
" in the present and aDnihilatiol
hereaftcr-no God to restrain US now
anu uouo W JuoSO no ioLeoi ooo eh'
lack of that something" made hi
face grow ugly and hard as he ex
pounded his theories, and his own a3
pearance was but poor argument IL
favor of his theories.
A curious rivalry between many o
the guests attracted my attention
Each thought his own misfortune th'
heaviest, and was jealous of the con
sideration which another won. Some
even flung it into the faces of certain
others that when they were enjoying
prosperity they had been sp
pealed 10 in vain. Any cant abou
equality in spite of loss OF money wa
promptly resented by those who hat
been in the attitude of solicitors
This feast was no good place at which
to air fine talk not supported by i'm.
chara cter. The restrictions which
obtain in society less honest of speech
Il IL